Death of Lovers have charted a distinct path across two major releases: the 2014 EP Buried Under a World of Roses and the 2017 full length album The Acrobat. Each marks a deliberate shift in mood and sonic ambition, showing two phases that reflect the band’s steady relationship with post punk and its adjacent genres.
Released via Deathwish Inc., Buried Under a World of Roses introduced the band with four tracks steeped in gloom and restraint. Cold Heaven, Shaken, Buried Under a World of Roses, and The Blue of Noon. The lineup, Nick Bassett, Domenic “Nicky” Palermo, and Kyle Kimball, all of whom were also active in Nothing and Whirr, expressed the intention of channeling the atmosphere of The Cure’s Pornography era, but with a punk edge and a sense of beauty. That vision comes through in the EP. There are slow melodies, bass-heavy sounds, and moody vocals that give the impression of a misty atmosphere, all drenched in apprehension. Synths are present but their role is minimal. The focus is on guitar, bass, drums, and a general sense of darkness. It’s a stark, introspective record that draws heavily from the margins of early eighties UK post punk.
Three years on, the band returned with The Acrobat, released via DAIS Records. The album marked a departure from the previous EP’s austerity. The eight tracks here feel like standalone singles, each polished and melodic, with a pop sensibility that doesn’t sacrifice emotional resonance. Synths take on a more central role, production is brighter, and the songwriting leans into new wave stylings without abandoning the band’s post punk base.
Where Buried Under a World of Roses is colder and more cavernous, The Acrobat opens up. Tracks like Orphans of the Smog, Ursula in B Major, Perfect History, and the sweeping closer The Absolute evoke a strange familiarity, like echoes of songs you’ve never heard but somehow recognize. There’s melancholy insistently present again, but also clarity, and the band feels different but not foreign.
Taken together, these two releases offer a compelling portrait of a band with a vision. Buried Under a World of Roses is a guitar-driven statement of intent. The Acrobat expands the frame, embracing synthpop textures and melodic hooks while retaining the contemplative core. Experienced together is the best option.
-
Death of Lovers
Deathwish Inc.
Dais Records
Video directed by Amanda Siegel
-
